David Bird, Managing Director and Head of the Climate Finance Partnership at ORIT, on Reframing Renewables, Resilient Infrastructure & Real-World Investment Strategies | Season Nine, Episode Seven

Welcome to Season Nine of Conversations in Cleantech!

 

This season, we’re going behind the scenes of transition infrastructure - speaking with the investors shaping how, where and why climate capital flows. From decarbonisation and energy security to technology maturity and policy gaps, we’re unpacking what it really takes to fund the systems that underpin a net-zero future.

 

In this episode, our host Jenny Gladman is joined by a new co-host, Isabella Rova - Brightsmith’s new Director of Sustainable Finance - to speak with David Bird, Managing Director and Head of the Climate Finance Partnership at Octopus Renewables Infrastructure Trust (ORIT).

 

With over 15 years in clean energy and a decade of experience at Octopus Energy Generation, David brings deep insight into what it takes to fund, develop and scale real-world renewable infrastructure.

From repositioning ORIT’s strategy in the face of rising interest rates, to backing development-stage projects across Europe, David outlines how Octopus is reframing renewables as a growth opportunity - not just a bond alternative.

 

Together, they dive into the evolution of investor appetite, the growing role of specialist fund managers, and why resilience, inflation linkage and capital growth are proving renewables to be one of the most compelling asset classes of our time.

This is a conversation about long-term thinking, market adaptation and why clean energy is no longer just a climate imperative - but an economic one, too.

01:41 - Introduction to David
02:44 - Can you share your journey into renewables, who Octopus are, and your role there?

05:14 - Can you explain how Octopus Energy Generation’s funds are structured and where ORIT fits in?
07:05 - With government bonds near 5% and renewables no longer a bond proxy, how are you repositioning ORIT and your other funds?
11:37 - How are you working to increase investor appetite for renewables and get that message to market?
16:30 - How do you navigate shifting political narratives - like clean energy vs. energy security - both internally and in conversations with investors?
20:10 - Can you share real-life examples, and what they show us about progress and confidence on the road to 2026 FID?
25:50 - Why are specialist managers like yourself so critical in today’s market compared to generalist investors, especially in co-investments with pension funds?
28:50 - What motivates you to do what you do?
33:07 - What advice would you give your younger self?

 

Connect with your hosts, Jenny Gladman and Isabella Rova, on LinkedIn.

Find your guest, David Bird, on LinkedIn.

Thanks for listening to Conversations in Cleantech brought to you by Brightsmith.

This is a Loaded Hype production.